RAPID charge points for electric taxis have been installed in Bodmin – but users will have to buy a parking ticket while using them.

Cornwall Council has spent £94,000 on the new facilities at Berrycoombe Road car park in Bodmin and the Flowerpot Chapel car park in Redruth, secured from the Government’s Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) Taxi Infrastructure Scheme.

With two charging bays at each car park, the first is designated for electric taxis only and the second bay can be used for all electric vehicles, although taxi drivers should be given priority if there is a queue.

The charger in Bodmin is now complete and ready to use; the one in Redruth is due to be finished in the coming weeks.

A rapid charger will fully charge a vehicle in around 30 minutes, at a cost dictated by the GeniePoint network. This is approximately £8 per charge. Users will also be expected to pay for a parking ticket for the time they are charging their vehicle.

The project supports Cornwall’s Climate Change Action Plan and its ambitious plan for Cornwall to be carbon neutral by 2030, 20 years ahead of the 2050 national target.

Councillor Martyn Alvey, portfolio holder for Environment and Climate Change at Cornwall Council, said: “As a Council we are committed to tackling climate change and this is just one example of how we are helping the environment, as well as improving air quality.

“We hope these new charge points will provide an incentive for more taxi firms to consider switching to electric vehicles and make it easier for residents and visitors with electric vehicles to charge up when out and about.”